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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24480643">The Relic</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexcat/pseuds/alexcat'>alexcat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>AllBingo - Sumerian Me [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Community: allbingo, F/M, Friendship/Love, Sumerian Mythology - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:20:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>276</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24480643</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexcat/pseuds/alexcat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The only person who doesn't treat Steve  like a museum piece is Natasha.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>AllBingo - Sumerian Me [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1768285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Allbingo, Of Elves and Men</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Relic</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the Sumerian Me challenge at Allbingo. The prompt for this one is Art of Being Kind on the sex and romance card.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>People treated Steve like a relic or a curiosity and he knew he was exactly that. </p>
<p>Only one person was different. </p>
<p>Natasha. </p>
<p>“Shall I treat you like a museum piece?” she’d asked him on their first mission after the battle of New York. </p>
<p>“Do I seem like one?” he’d asked back. </p>
<p>She smiled and ducked her head in that way she had when she wasn’t sure she wanted to answer. “Sometimes.” Then she’d put her hand on his arm and touched it. “But you’re awfully warm for a fossil.” </p>
<p>The mission had gone well, they’d rescued an American being held by terrorists in one of the small countries that had formed from the old Soviet Block. Thanks to Natasha’s spy talents, they’d gotten in and out without bloodshed and the hostage was safe. Steve always hated to kill people but he hated for any innocent to be harmed in particular. Natasha acted quite like she didn’t care but he knew better. </p>
<p>He was sitting with his eyes closed on the Quinjet, heading back home. </p>
<p>“What’re you thinking about, Steve? You look so serious.” She put her hand on his. </p>
<p>“Other missions that didn’t go so well.”</p>
<p>“I try not to think of those,” she squeezed his hand. “We do what we can. It’s not enough sometimes, but it has to be. You can’t change the past, Steve. Sometimes you need to make a folder in your head and simply file it away.” </p>
<p>She understood. No one else ever really had. </p>
<p>On impulse, he kissed her cheek. “Thank you. That might actually work.”</p>
<p>“Anytime, old fossil.”  She leaned against him and stayed there for quite a while.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>My <a href="https://www.tumblr.com/blog/alexcat45"><b>Tumblr</b></a>.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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